It’s no secret that Samoa Joe debuted on the main roster recently. Remember how he re-injured Seth Rollins? That really sucked but it was amazing for the heat on Joe. No longer was he the exciting new NXT talent on the main roster, but he was the guy who injured The Architect and put one of the most anticipated matches at WrestleMania 33 in jeopardy.
Joe was has been a man of intimidating presence with how he’s been booked, dressing like a hitman and aligning himself publically with Triple H. By the way, WWE has done a genius thing right in front of our eyes in the recent weeks. When Triple H opened TakeOver: London looking like a total hero with that intro there were people who gave him absolute Hell about being such a despicable heel on television one night and all smiles and the people’s provider of outstanding talent plucked from the indie circuit the next. Now, WWE has established a split personality with Trips. He is the Creator when he’s on NXT, and the Destroyer when he’s kneeing your face in on television. But he doesn’t have to knee anyone in the teeth right now because he has Samoa Joe.
Joe has been running roughshod over anyone that he can get his meaty hands on since he made the main roster jump and there hasn’t been anyone who can stop him. But there needs to be someone, and that person needs to present themselves in time to hype a match at Mania. Because, if Joe spends his first WrestleMania standing on the side of the ring during Triple H’s match in a suit (assuming it even happens), then people will be not only be robbed of a great match but thoroughly pissed as well. Sure, Vince doesn’t really care about upsetting people, obviously. But he does care about money, and pairing Joe with someone respectable at Mania would be a money match.
Let that someone be Finn Balor.
We reported today that Finn is working hard in rehab, and that includes rehearsing his entrance with rubber bands wrapped around him to cause extra resistance. He’s training for his entrance even, one could more than assume that he’s just putting the cherry on top of that rehab sundae. He’s more than ready at this point, they’re just waiting for the right time.
Someone has to take out Samoa Joe, and although nothing has even been hinted at it in programming and Dave Meltzer said that there are no current plans for Samoa Joe at Mania, why not make that happen? Meltzer also said that he heard that there are plans for Finn too, but nothing has been set in stone. Samoa Joe might just be that stone.
Besides, how much would you mark out if you heard Finn Balor’s music strike just as Samoa Joe was about to do something awful like hit a group such as The New Day with a lead pipe and set them on fire?
They need a big match just in case Rollins can’t make it back in time. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor could have a great buildup, but they need to not waste time on it. Fastlane would be the right time to do it, after all, Joe doesn’t have a dance partner at the March PPV yet and he might not get one. Just give him a promo to cut and have The New Day come out to do their booty shaking schtick only to get annihilated by Joe. Right as he’s about to come down with the lead pipe or light the match, Finn’s music hits and he just comes out to stare at Joe. But it’s enough for The New Day to skedaddle and Finn to make his impression made.
Joe recently beat the unholy crap out of Sami Zayn, but he’s rumored to go after the heartbroken Chris Jericho at Fastlane. If Jericho loses his best friend one week and his United States Championship later that month Y2J would be a wreck. He’d be a man with nothing left to lose and could screw over his former best friend in his match with Goldberg, and go on to face KO at WM33. That makes sense, don’t mess with that.
Samoa Joe and Finn Balor would be the real shot in the arm that this WrestleMania needs to legitimize it. Smarks all over are rolling their eyes at the proposition of Goldberg as Universal Champion in the first place and the current title trajectory seems to get further and further away from Balor. Because Braun and Roman are the two rumored challengers after Mania, so for the love of God, give us Balor vs. Joe in Orlando and let it ride for a longer program!
Whatever happens, it is sure to be good because after all, creative decisions are ultimately handled by a 71-year-old billionaire who hangs out in the Oval Office. Therefore what the fans want is certainly a priority.
